Scott Lachut: The Big Changes Driving the Maker Movement

As more people take part in the Maker Movement, both the marketplace and culture are poised for some exciting changes ahead. As part of the launch of The Maker’s Manual – a publication produced with the support of Intel – the PSFK Labs‘ team looks at some of the big ideas that fall out of the report and what they’ll mean for the consumers and brands.

1. Innovation Is What Matters
Today’s consumer marketplace is primed for exciting innovations that change the nature of daily life from work to home to play, meaning any product that captures the public’s imagination and delivers on those expectations can become the next big thing overnight. Add to this, a host of new platforms that can reach audiences at various stages in the product development pipeline, and we’re seeing the creation of an ideal environment that allows individual makers to not only compete, but succeed against more established companies like never before.

2. Unlocking The Means Of Production
The development of new services that make it possible for makers to tap into professional manufacturing resources has the potential to usher in a more sustainable industrial revolution that can easily scale based on need. As both individuals and larger businesses learn to work within these emerging production frameworks, we’ll see new efficiencies in terms of material usage, and shipping and transportation needs. This will also enable a new relationship with the end consumers, promoting greater feedback and transparency, and allowing for unprecedented levels of customization.

3. Ideas Get Tangible
Access to a simple, but sophisticated set of tools and components will allow makers of any skill level to begin to manifest their ideas in the world to solve individual problems and enable inventive experiences. As creativity becomes tangible, it unlocks possibilities that can be seen and touched, helping people relate to each other and their surroundings in entirely new ways. The end result of this more physical method of thinking and communicating ideas has the potential to spur us toward exciting solutions that build on top of one another in a very real way.

4. Hardware Gets Soft
As the physical bits of technology-sensors, wires, displays etc.-find their way into the hands of more makers from a wider variety of backgrounds, we’ll begin to see the emergence of a new class of hardware that defies current conventions. Whether experimenting with never before imagined forms or designing interfaces that completely redefine people’s interactions and relationships with their devices, these creative technologists have the potential to change the entire consumer electronics landscape.

5. Eliminating Obsolescence
A shift towards openness and sharing both on and offline is changing what people expect from the companies and brands they buy from. Add to this, an increasing enthusiasm for building and programming skills in work and educational settings, and we’ll begin to see a push for end products that meet these emerging desires. The ability to fix, upgrade and personalize out of the box will impact not only hardware and software design, but the experience around those products as well, placing greater importance on the development of services and communities that support long term relationships with these objects.

6. Making Communities
Although makers now have access to more exciting tools and technologies than ever before, the most important asset throughout the process is the ability to tap into other people. The growth of on and offline spaces that enable individuals to share their skills, resources and expertise with the wider community will propel ideas forward and ensure they have the proper support, changing how, where and what products get developed.